Although 90 House and 17 Senate Republicans voted against the bill, largely on the grounds of extending the debt ceiling[4], lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed that funding disaster recovery efforts in light of Harvey and ahead of Hurricane Irma is a priority.

Lawmakers have been inconsistent in funding unmet needs for those impacted by natural disasters and have neglected to have serious conversations about ensuring that infrastructure exists to minimize future devastation. This could not be more evident than here in North Carolina where the state was awarded only 1 percent of a $929 million aid request[9] to support recovery and rebuilding efforts for Hurricane Matthew.

It is hopeful that in this emerging bipartisan commitment to helping communities recover, Eastern NC will finally receive some badly needed support. According to the NC Insider, nearly a year after Hurricane Matthew flooded much of the eastern part of the state, almost 3,000 families are still waiting to be bought out of their damaged and flood-prone homes. The state, however, only has enough funding to buy out one-third of the properties. Additionally, only a small number of businesses have received SBA loans and the state lacks funding needed to support low-income homeowners in need of repairs. The estimated unmet need in the region according to state officials is $450 to $600 million.

We should applaud lawmakers for stepping up and choosing to support communities in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Irma. But if we hope to build a stronger and more resilient North Carolina, we’ll need more than just disaster relief; we’ll need the investments and choices that ensure everyone, regardless of where they live or how much money they make, live in safe and thriving communities.

Brian Kennedy II is a Public Policy Fellow with the Budget & Tax Center, a project of the North Carolina Justice Center.

[2] warned that the agency could run out of funds as soon as this weekend: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article171831452.html

[3] includes $7.4 billion dedicated to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts in Texas and Louisiana, another $7.4 billion for community block grants, and $450 million towards Small Business Administration (SBA) loans: http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-senate-approves-hurricane-harvey-aid-1504807762-htmlstory.html

[4] largely on the grounds of extending the debt ceiling: http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/08/politics/house-vote-hurricane-aid-debt-ceiling-package/index.html

[6] The way our state and nation are bearing the financial and human costs of natural disasters is drastically changing: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/09/08/heres-much-climate-change-will-cost-north-carolina-counties/#sthash.udd6F6ya.IwowcDUz.dpbs

[8] disproportionate and catastrophic impacts of many of our poorest and rural communities: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2016/10/18/many-low-income-north-carolinians-matthews-damage-deeper-broken-buildings/#sthash.3DPyhB2e.1RX7Q1mE.dpbs

[9] awarded only 1 percent of a $929 million aid request: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/05/11/word-nc-policymakers-lead-hurricane-matthews-recovery/#sthash.2ovymloR.dpbs